

January 2017. Selçuk, Turkey.
The annual camel wrestling tournament takes place in the western Turkish town of Selçuk, near the historic ruins of Ephesus.
Camel wrestlers from across Turkey travel with their animals to compete, socialise, drink Rakı, and eat camel sausage.
As the wrestling camels are all male, trainers prepare them by putting them in visual proximity to female camels, whilst they are chained and unable to do anything other than smell their scent, increasing their aggression prior to the match.
Betting is illegal, although competition is still fierce. Many fans and owners bet drinks on a winner, despite there often being no winner or loser in a match.
In 2017 the event was held under tight security (armed military and police can be seen in many images) due to the many terrorist attacks Turkey suffered during 2015/16, and continued threats to all crowded events.








New York Times Travel - publication of this feature on the 'World Through A Lens' section. June 2021










